#021: Looking into the future with Steve Sammartino

Steve Sammartino (@sammartino) is an author, futurist and business technologist, who has incredible insights on technology and how it will shape our lives in the future. His belief in diversification in ways of making money (he prefers not to use the word ‘job’) is multi-faceted across writing, speaking and investing. With a background in startups, sales, and marketing, Steve has managed to utilise those abilities and bring them into tech-minded projects. From garnering 9 million views on his viral video of a Lego car, to his successful app Sneaky Surf, the man certainly knows how to practice what he preaches.

In this episode we covered:

The viral Lego car video

How he came to be a ‘futurist’

Gauging tech needs of the future

Ingredients for disruption

The cult of CEO wages

What he sees five years from now

Predicting the decentralisation of cities

The flexibility of the gig economy

His books, and becoming a writer

Rubiks cubes and puzzles

Something that annoys him about the tech industry

Learning other languages

The rise of China

A problem he faces everyday, that hasn’t been solved yet

Enjoy the episode,Jordan & Lauren

Show notes

Brief introduction {05:24}

The viral Lego car video {06:20}

How he came to be a ‘futurist’ {14:13}

On commonalities between futurists {16:37}

Gauging tech needs of the future {18:50}

Ingredients for disruption {23:42}

The cult of CEO wages {27:50}

What he sees five years from now {34:12}

Predicting the decentralisation of cities {38:25}

How technology enables mobility {40:30}

Decentralising workplaces & working from home {43:55}

The flexibility of the gig economy {47:15}

His books, and becoming a writer {51:54}

‘Inventing’ money {56:25}

Sneaky Surf, the app {59:14}

Career history {01:03:32}

Rubiks cubes and puzzles {01:04:40}

Things he does to keep up with futurism {01:08:08}

Periods of interest in history {01:09:29}

If he had $100 million - what would he do with it? {01:14:03}

Something that annoys him about the tech industry {01:16:55}

Managing his thoughts on ideas for the future {01:22:48}

A constant in tech {01:24:27}

Technology sabbaticals {01:28:06}

How a failure has turned into a success {01:30:06}

Morning routines {01:34:05}

If he were to do a TED talk, only on what we haven’t covered so far {01:36:32}